Object-throwing machine.



A.-B. FERGUSON. OBJECT THROWING MACHINE.

- v APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1915. 1,237,625. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I Wa A. B. FERGUSON.

OBJECT THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1915.

1 31,625, Patented Aug". 21, 1917.

I 3 SHEETSSHEET 2. W

A. B. FERGUS'ON. v v OBJECT THRQWING MACHINE. 1,237,625.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25'. I915.

; Unrrn, STATES m n ARCHIBALD BRUCE FERGUSON, CP -SPOKANE, WASHINGTON,ASSIGNO R lO ARROW MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WASI-IINGTO1\T..

To all whom it mar concern:

it-known that I, ARGHIBALD BRUCE Fnncusom, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Spokane, inthecounty of Spokane and State ofW'ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IObject-Throwing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in projectile throwing machinesand has to do I more-particularlyg with machines of this class for usein connectionwith games such for instance as'basebalhthe device of myinvention being used more particularly for practice batting purposes. 1

It isone of the .objects of-this invention to providea throwing devicewhich is linearly movable from a ball taking toward and to a balldischarging position.

A further object of the invention is to provide areserve feed device forgravity delivery of one ball at a time to the throwing device, thereserve feed device holding a reserve quantity or number of balls whosedischarge therefrom, one by one, is automatically controlled by movementof the throwing device.

A further object. of the invention is to provide a supply device with atransfer means for=automatically transferring baseballs or other gameprojectiles from the supply device to the reserve device, automatically,during operation of the throwing devlce. .i

A further object. of the invention is to provide a ball throwing devicewhich. is capable of grasping the ballin such a, man.- ner. as to curvethe same when it is thrown.

Further objects and featuresof the invention will be more fullydescribed-in con nection with the accompanying drawings, and will bemore particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is; a side elevation, partly in section,showing the device of my invention on a reduced scale,

Fig.2 is a View in side elevation on an I enlarged scale showing thetransfer. device taking-a ball from .the supply device for delivery tothe reserve device,

Fig. 3 is a plan view-thereof with the parts in the position shown in F1g; 2.

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, A. CORPORATIONOF oBJEoT-Tnnowme MACHINE. I

Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented Aflg', 21, 1917,

' Application filed. February 25, 1915. Serial No. 10,6467.

Fig. 4- is an enlarged planview of a portion of the reserve feed deviceand showing the throwing device in a receiving position with respect tothe reserve" feed device. ,.Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 ofFig. 4:, Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of a controllingslide'for controlling delivery of other-extremity. A platform 4 isincorporated in the structure and disposed adjacent the screen 2 andleading from the platform ate a delivery or supplytrough 5, is aninclinedrun way 6 which is in the form'of a fiooringonwhich the ballsarrestedby the screen-2 rebound androll'backwardly into trough'5' bygravity. Trough 5 may be profeed boardvided with an'oppositely inclined7, deliveringto the trough.

ting platform 4.- Mounted upon the table. 8 is a track 10 which is shownT-shaped in cross section. The track 10' is pivotally mounted on thetable at 11; and I provide means for adjusting the track at the throw-'ing point so as to-vary the inclination of Referring more particularlyto Figs. 2 to 5, 8 designates asupporting table mounts ed upon suitableuprights 9 and supported the trackfor the purpose: of altering the trajectory of the ball and also to vary its ele-' vation of delivery to thebatter;

' Asshown, a U-shaped bracket l2;is mounted to depend from the,table-Sand isbored tolooselyreceive a threaded rod .1'31for adjustmenttherethrough. .-The rod 13 is not only adjusted butis heldin adjustedpositions by nuts 14 which arethreaded on the rod=and which engageopposite faces of the bracket 12, as will be seen by reference to r Fig.8. The rod 13 projects through a suitable openingin the table 8 and ispivotally connected at'l5 with the track 10.

Slidably mounted on the track 10 for linear reciprocating movementthereon is a ball" throwing device comprising a trough likesupportingportion 16 and a cupped backing 17, in which the ball is heldand from which it is thrown. The supporting portion 16 terminates inbottom and laterally disposed marginally disposed fingers 18 and 19. The

fingers 19, as well as thefingers-lS, are bendable for the purpose ofgrasping the ball with unequal I pressure at different peripheralpoints1S0 asto impart a curved path to the baltwhenthesame is thrown,dependent upon, the flexure of the fingers. Thus it willv be seen thatI- not only can throw the ball, with my improved machine, at differentelevations, but I canv also impart differentncharacters-of curvaturethereto.

' r The. throwing. device includes a carriage 20 which is slidable ontrack 10 and.which is provided with underhung-lips 21gand 22. to i holdthe carriage upon track 10. Disposed rearwardlyrof the cup shaped backl7,is an upright 23 having marginally slottedportionsQt, i' t, w

-The= improved actuating means for the throwing device is shown intheform'of the following specific construction. w-w',Oppositely{disposed pivot brackets 25 ex tend inopposite directionsfrom their points of mount 26, 011 thetable 8, and terminates in pivotends 27-.- Arms28 are mounted on the ends 27-by pivots129, at pointsbetween the ends of said arms and ll'lrSHCll a-inannerasto dispose. theshorter ends outwardly and the longer ends inwardly. The i inner orlonger ends terminate 1nhooks-s30 provided with rings 81.v Endlessstraps 82 are coni nectedzwith: ringswS-lfand. with theslottedportions-24L; :Theouten ends. OfzSELld. arms 28 terminate in eyes33=to which the ends 34 of springs 35, are-connected. :zThe remainingends 36, of said springs, are connected-with adjusting rods '37 havingthreaded connection: with-sbrackets*38.x If desired, the springs 35 maybe covered by rubber hose or like. flexible tubular omaterial as Iindicted Now it will be clear that when the carriage =20 is retracted-stthe positionshown in-Fig's. 4: and: 5, the springs 35 will be undertension, and afterthe carriage has been re leased, the springs 35 willproject the latter into the positionshown in Figs. 3 and 4, to throw theball.

I will next describe the'means for setting or retracting'the carriageinto a ball receiv ing position and-;thereafter releasing -the carriage"for: actuation by'sp'rmgs' 35.

An 'ope'ratrnglever- 40 1s plvotally mounted at 4:1 and-is connected at42 with a shifting-rod 43. 'Theremaining end of said rod 43 is connectedat 44 with one end of a lever 4-5. Lever is pivoted at 4L6 to a suitable brace comprising brace rods 47 herein shown connected with thetable 8, atlS. The

remaining end of lever is connected at 49 wlth a llnk or rod 50. Theremalnmg end of said link rod 50 is connected at 51 with a detentcarriage 52 whichis slidabl'e upon track 10, independently of the balldevice carriage 20. The latter is shown provided with a latch likedetent lug 53 ove-r'which a detent 54 is adapted toproject, into theposition shown in Fig. 5 forv connecting said carriages during,retractiverdovement; Detent 54 is pivoted at 55 to detent carriage" 52and is provided witha rearwardly projecting releasing end 56. I S r Nowwhen the ball carriage is in the positionishown in Fig. '3, and it'isdesired to retract said carriage to aset position, lever 40 is shiftedto the left of'Fig. 1 to engage detent=5 with lug and then lever 40 isshifted to the right of Fig. 1 to retract carriage 20: A, preferablyfixed releaser57q is disposed inthe path of the releasingend 56,

for engagement thereby, to release-the detent fromwcn'ga'gement with lug53 after the 'carriage has been retractedto a predetermined point, suchrelease freeing the carriage 20 for forward movement under the action ofsprings 35.11 1' v 1 q I will next describe thereserve feed device forgravity delivery to theball throwing device of the base' ball er -otherobjects tobethrown. 1 x

,In the specific form, I have shown a receiver comprisinga bottomboard'58 disposed on an incline above tabl.e'8 and mounted upon supportsand 60. T'he' receiv is provided with incloslng sides-61,- 62; 63

and 64, and near one end'o'f the receiver-is an; opening :65 foldelivery. therethrough of the baseballs. A sliding closure 66 is mountedin-supports 67 to be reciprocated abreast of thebottom of the receiverboard 3 into the-position shown in Fig. 5, when-the ball carryingcarriage 20 is being moved to-- ward a set position to be tripped and itwill be seen that the sliding closure 66' will have beenretracted'into aball delivery position prior torelease tr detent 54 from lug 53 foractuation of the ball carrying carriage 20. This insures deliverybygravity of a ball into the carriage 20 prior to release of the latter.The inclination of the reserve receiver is downwardlyfrom 61 to 64 sothat the ball therein will gravitate toward opening 65. In order toprevent more than one ball from entering said opening,at a 'time, thesliding closure 66 is provided with-a ball arrester '74 which projectsupwardly through a suitable slot 75, in bottom board 58, the highestpoint 76 serving to close passage 77 when the closure is inthe positionshown in Fig. and the reduced or lower portion 78 serving to open saidpassage when the slide is in the position shown in F ig. 2. Rod mountwill act as'a stop against the rear-most bearing strap 67 to limitforward movement of the slide. .It will be seen that the receiver iscapable of holding a reserve number of balls so that as balls are fedtherefrom others will automatically take the place of the displacedballs.

I will next describe the transferring means for transferring balls fromthe supply device or trough 5 to the reserve receiver.

A rock shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 80 and is provided with anarm 81 which is connected at 82 with a link 83, at one end of thelatter. The other end of said link 83 is connected at 84 with a clip 85which is adjustable on the operating rod 43 by means of a screw 86. Thisadjustment permits of readily setting the transfer device in the desiredtimed operative relation with rod 43. Rock shaft 79 is provided with atransfer arm 87 which is provided on its one end with a ball carryingcup 88. Trough 5 is provided with an opening 89 of sufiicient size topermit of passage therethrough of one ball at a time. Means such as aspring 90, normally acts'to prevent passage of the lowermost ball throuh said opening 89, the trough 5 being inclined for gravitation of theballs therein toward said opening 89. Now when the rod 43 is moved tothe left the carriage 52 is moved in the same direction to engage theball carriage 20, the transfer arm 87 then being moved from thedotted-line position to the full-line position of Fig. 2, when the cup88 will engage the spring 90, allowing the latter to retract and ball tobe discharged through the opening 89 into the cup 88. The presence ofthe ball n the cup however will hold the next ball against dischargefrom trough 5 until cup 88 has been elevated. Immediately upon elevationof cup 88, spring 90 will follow and return to a normal position andprevent the next ball from dropping out through opening 89. When thedetent carriage is moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, the transferarm 88 will be moved into the delivery position shown in this figure andwill deliver its balls to the receiver for reserved balls. Thus as eachball is discharged from the reserve receiver, the supplywill bereplenished by the transfer mechanism. Furthermore, as each thrown ballstrikes the screen'2, it will rebound and roll down the run way 6, bygravity, into supply trough 5.

It is believed that the device of my invention will be wholly understoodfrom the foregoing description and while I have herein shown anddescribed one specific'form of my invention, I do not wish to be limitedthereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

1. In an object throwing mechanism, a track bar, means for adjustingsaid bar into different positions, anobject throwing carriage, a tripcarriage mechanism slidable on said bar and having means for engagementwith said throwing carriage to retract the latter, and automaticallyacting means for engagement with said trip carriage mechanism to releasesaid throwing carriage means upon retraction of the latter to apredetermined point, substantially as described.

2. In an object throwing mechanism a track-bar, an object-throwingcarriage, a.

(trip-carriage mechanism slidable on said traclcbar, and having meansfor engagement with said object throwing carriage to retract the latter,and automatically actuating means for engagement with said trip-carriagemechanism to release said object throwing carriage means upon retractionof thelatter to a predetermined point.

8. In an object throwing mechanism, a track-bar, a detent carriageslidable on said track-bar, a slide having an object-receiving opening,an object throwing carriage, mounted upon said track-bar, a retractor onsaid detent-carriage for moving said slide into a ball or objectdelivery position, said detent carriage having means for engagement withsaid objectthrowing carriage to retract the latter, and automaticallyactuating means for engagement with said trip-carriage mechanism torelease said obj cot-throwing carriage means upon retraction of thelatter to a predetermined point. I

4. In an object throwing mechanism, a track-bar, an object-throwingcarriage and a trip-carriage slidably mounted on the track-bar, a springcontrolled slide having an object receiving opening, a depending membercarried by said slide, an upwardly extended retractor carried by saidtrip-carriage adapted to engage said depending member, connecting andreleasing elements carried by said trip-carriage and saidobject-throwing carriage, means for retracting said carriages, and meansfor actuating said releasing elements to release said objectthrowingcarriage upon retraction thereof 6, In a ball thlrowing machine, ballhold throWingmeans comprising bendable fingers for engagement WltllVarying pressures of oontact with'respectto different spherical portionsof the ball to curve the latter, substantially as described.

r 7,, In a ball throwing machine, a ballsupply trough provided with anopening, a spring. normally preventing discharge of balls through saidopening, a ball throwing means, a reserve receiver-for delivering ballsto said throwing means, and transfer means for transferring the ballsfrom said supply trough to said reserve receiver and co aeting with saidspring to receive balls from said trough, substantially as described; I

In testimony whereof I aflixiny signature in presence of two witnesses.

AROHIBALD BRUCE FERGUSON.

v Witnesses E J. J Y. LAVIN,

STELLA LOMBARD.

Copies of thisipaten't may he obtained for fi vei cents each, byaddressing" the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C.

